Planning Manager

Cornwall | Food Manufacturing | £60,000 + Bonus | Excellent Career Progression

Ready to take ownership of planning in a growing, fast-paced food manufacturing business?

This is an exciting opportunity to join a forward-thinking food manufacturing business in Cornwall that continues to grow, invest and evolve. With increasing operational demands, a developing product portfolio and ambitious plans for the future, the business is looking to strengthen its planning function with someone who can make a genuine difference.

We're looking for either an established Planning Manager or an ambitious Planning Team Leader / Senior Production Planner who is ready to take that next step into management.

The environment is fast-moving, operationally challenging and certainly not one where every day looks the same. With a varied product range, changing customer demands, production complexities and the need to balance service, stock, labour and efficiency, effective planning is absolutely critical to the success of the operation.

You'll have the opportunity to shape how planning operates, develop a capable team and work closely with colleagues across Production, Technical, Engineering, Procurement and the wider Supply Chain function.

The Opportunity

Reporting into the Supply Chain Manager, you'll take ownership of the site's planning, scheduling and material call-off activities, ensuring production plans are achievable, resources are optimised and customer expectations are consistently met.

This is much more than simply managing a production schedule. It's about taking a proactive approach, identifying opportunities to improve, challenging existing processes and bringing people together to deliver better results.

You'll lead and develop the planning team, establishing clear ways of working, building capability and creating an environment where people are encouraged to take ownership and continually improve.

As the business continues to grow, there is real scope to make your mark, influence the wider operation and develop your career alongside it.

What You'll Be Doing

• Leading, coaching and developing the site planning team, ensuring the right structure, skills and capabilities are in place.
• Taking ownership of production planning, scheduling and material call-off to achieve customer service, cost and operational targets.
• Optimising production schedules, product sequencing, labour requirements and manufacturing capacity.
• Balancing customer demand, stock availability, material supply and production capabilities in a complex manufacturing environment.
• Working closely with Production, Technical, Engineering, Procurement and R&D to ensure plans are aligned and operational challenges are managed effectively.
• Identifying bottlenecks, capacity constraints and opportunities to improve efficiency across the manufacturing operation.
• Using data, reporting and performance measures to drive better decision-making and continuous improvement.
• Developing strong relationships with customers, suppliers and internal stakeholders to improve the end-to-end supply chain.
• Establishing consistent planning processes, standards and ways of working, embedding a continuous improvement culture.
• Supporting new product introductions, trials, maintenance windows and changing business requirements.

What We're Looking For

We're open-minded about the level of experience, but the right background and attitude are essential.

You’ll ideally be:

• An experienced Planning Manager within food manufacturing, or a strong Planning Team Leader / Senior Planner with some leadership experience and the ambition to progress.
• Experienced in production planning and scheduling within a food manufacturing environment.
• Comfortable working in a complex, fast-paced operation where product variety, shelf life, customer demand and manufacturing constraints all play a part.
• Ideally experienced within ready meals, savoury pastry, sandwiches, bakery, chilled foods, prepared foods, fresh produce or another similarly complex food manufacturing environment.
• A confident communicator who can build relationships and influence colleagues across different departments.
• Analytical and commercially aware, with the ability to interpret data and make informed planning decisions.
• A natural coach who enjoys developing people, improving processes and getting the best out of a team.
• Someone who thrives on a challenge, embraces change and isn't afraid to challenge the status quo.

Experience with planning and material management systems, advanced Excel and operational excellence / continuous improvement tools would also be advantageous.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

This is a business with plenty happening, a genuine appetite for growth and a forward-thinking approach to manufacturing.

You'll be joining a team that recognises the importance of getting the fundamentals right but also wants to keep moving forward. There is an opportunity to bring fresh ideas, improve the way things are done and have a visible impact on business performance.

For an established Planning Manager, it's an opportunity to take ownership of an important function within a growing operation.

For someone currently operating as a Planning Team Leader or Senior Planner, it could be the ideal next step into a broader management position, with the responsibility, exposure and development opportunities to match.

If you're looking for a rewarding challenge, enjoy the pace and complexity of food manufacturing and want to be part of a business that is going places, this is certainly worth a conversation.

Interested?

Food manufacturing planning experience is essential.

For more information, please contact Shaf Islam on si@zestfoodjobs.co.uk